Late Qing Dynasty Executioner

The White Lotus Sect!

This is a very complex sect. Not only is its personnel composition and beliefs complex, but even the way believers in each place act is very different.

Chen Gu glanced at Feng Yuanni and said, "If you have anything to say, just ask!"

"The White Lotus Sect is prohibited from preaching in China. Yuanni would like to ask the special envoy, will the White Lotus Sect be prohibited from preaching in Guangdong as well in the future?" Feng Yuanni asked directly.

Chen Gu raised his eyebrows and said, "There is no prohibition on the spread of any religious beliefs within China, including the White Lotus Sect. In principle, all gods and Buddhas, even demons and monsters are allowed to exist."

Feng Yuanni couldn't help but be speechless. There was indeed no restriction on the spread of any belief within China, but heavy taxes were imposed on sacrificial items such as incense, candles, and paper money.

The tax rate on incense money donated to temples is as high as 90%. That is to say, if you donate 10,000 taels of silver to a temple, the Chinese Taxation Department will take away 9,000 taels.

This is simply outrageous and has set a precedent in all dynasties. It has never been heard that the imperial court would compete with the gods for incense money.

This decree caused an uproar as soon as it came out, but because it was proposed by the leader Chen Gu, 99% of the nearly 10,000 people in the Legislative Assembly voted in favor. The few monk representatives and some believers had no say at all.

In contrast, donations to nursing homes and local colleges can be deducted from taxes. It goes without saying where the wealthy businessmen and big families in various places should donate their money.

In addition, China has many restrictions on population movement. The identity certificate alone prevents many people from leaving their place of origin, so the White Lotus Sect completely lost its living space.

Not to mention the White Lotus Sect, even ordinary people in the underworld found it difficult to move around in China. They could only stay at home and farm. The only way out was to join the joint defense team, perform better, and then join the regular army.

After joining the army, if you have made some achievements, you have a great chance to transfer to other places to serve as an official.

The most crucial thing is that teachers in schools everywhere would accuse the White Lotus Sect of being a cult, and ordinary believers could not refute the teachers everywhere.

Therefore, it is impossible to preach. Once you start preaching, you will run the risk of being criticized. If you have financial transactions with believers again, you may even be labeled as a fraudster and then arrested by the joint defense team and sent to the county town.

If you are determined to be a fraudster after the trial, you will be sent to a mine for forced labor.

Feng Yuanni frowned and thought for a while, then asked, "After China occupies Guangdong, how will it treat the White Lotus Sect members in Guangdong?"

Chen Jue couldn't help but sigh, and then said: "It is undeniable that the White Lotus Sect, Gelaohui, Tiandihui and other gangs and churches played a huge role in the previous anti-Qing process, and also helped many people do a lot of things.

But many things depend on the circumstances of the current situation. The people in China have land to farm, food to eat, clothes to wear, the elderly to rely on and the young to be educated. You should understand that you have lost your original role.

In my opinion, there actually was no such thing as the White Lotus Society or the Heaven and Earth Society. You are all citizens of the Chinese country who should be treated equally.

Ordinary people among you should farm, fish, work, and then start a family and build a career after earning money.

Those of you who are skilled in martial arts can join the army to kill the enemies and gain merit; those who can read and write can become officials, or they can start business and open workshops to make money.

In the past, the Qing Dynasty was unfair and the people lived in dire straits. There was nothing wrong with you rising up, but China has treated the people well. It is time for you to make changes."

Everyone couldn't help but fall silent. It's not that they didn't understand the truth, but they were reluctant to give up the power and wealth in their hands.

After all, these gang and church leaders are also a group of vested interests, and they are very similar to local dignitaries.

But now the situation is stronger than people. China has occupied half of the world, and it is a relatively wealthy place south of the Yangtze River. Their resistance is just like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. Chen Gu stopped talking after he finished speaking, waiting for them to make their own choice.

The White Lotus Sect and the Heaven and Earth Society both said that they needed to discuss things before they could give Chen the Gou a reply.

Chen Gu doesn't care. Delaying for a few days will not change the overall situation.

"Then come back here in three days. I hope you will make a wise choice then. This is your last chance.

The longer time goes on, the clearer the situation in the west will become, and your bargaining chips will become fewer and fewer. If the main force of China enters Guangzhou, you will lose the qualifications to negotiate terms.

In the end, they could only passively accept China's arrangement." Chen Gu advised.

Chen Gu did not take the White Lotus Sect seriously. Although there were many believers in the White Lotus Sect in Guangdong, there was a high degree of overlap between them and the Tiandihui. As long as the Tiandihui could accept the amnesty, the White Lotus Sect would never be able to cause any trouble.

If the Tiandihui did not have hundreds of thousands of followers in Guangdong, Chen Gu would not have needed to hold this martial arts conference.

After Chen Gu finished speaking, he actually took Zhang Zhe and others away from the venue so that you could see the discussion and quarrel.

After Chen Gui walked away, everyone immediately started arguing loudly.

The first to be affected was Zhang Da.

"Senior Zhang, you are a veteran of the Tiandihui. Can you tell me where the Tiandihui should go?" Yang Yunfeng stepped forward first and asked Zhang Da.

Zhang Da smiled, calmly picked up the tea bowl and took a sip, then said, "Although I am a veteran of the Tiandihui, I have no real power. How can I decide whether the Tiandihui should stay or go?

After all, the Tiandihui still needs you, the branch leaders, to decide its future.

As for the matter of the special envoy of the Huaxia Ministry, I, an old man, just happened to be here and I can only act as an introducer to give the special envoy a chance to talk to everyone face to face.

As for how to talk and what the final outcome will be, you can judge for yourselves."

Zhang Da's answer was flawless, which made Yang Yunfeng lose his temper for a moment.

Three days later, the Tiandihui put forward conditions. They wanted to govern Hainan Island autonomously. In exchange, they could send 100,000 main troops and 100,000 civilian laborers to help Chen Gu capture cities.

After hesitating for a while, Chen Gu agreed to the request of the Tiandihui, but only promised for fifty years. As for what would happen after fifty years, future generations would discuss it at that time.

After all, there aren't many people in Hainan right now, so it's a good opportunity for the Tiandihui to go there and develop it.

The White Lotus Sect wanted the New Territories, which was later known as Hong Kong Island. Chen Kui refused without a second thought and was only willing to give them the smaller Macau Island for self-government, also for a period of 50 years.

"Remember, autonomy is only relative. I hope you can take good care of yourself. If the people complain, China reserves the right to send troops to take back the autonomy."

(End of this chapter)